What is "c-ran"

C-RAN (Cloud-RAN), sometimes referred to as Centralized-RAN, is a proposed architecture for future cellular networks. It was first introduced by China Mobile Research Institute in April 2010 in Beijing, China, 9 years after it was disclosed in patent applications filed by U.S. companies. Simply speaking, C-RAN is a centralized, cloud computing-based architecture for radio access networks that supports 2G, 3G, 4G and future wireless communication standards. Its name comes from the four 'C's in the main characteristics of C-RAN system, "Clean, Centralized processing, Collaborative radio, and a real-time Cloud Radio Access Network".